A/N: Thank you for the positive reviews thus far. I know that this story has a bit of a slow burn, and a certain tension to it rather than a lot of action, but I feel it's a bit more realistic this way. Further reviews and suggestions are appreciated, as this is my first work, after all. Enjoy!

"I wonder what inspired this sudden outpouring of social behavior?" Sakura thought to herself as she moved deftly around the poison lab, quickly sorting and labeling a few ingredients and locking them into the refrigerated cabinet on the far side. She rolled up the scrolls she had been working on and moved the stack of slides she'd had out into their respective places on her desk, humming quietly to herself as she did so. "Well, I may not know his motivation, but even when he's quiet, he makes good company, I suppose," she decided. "Anyway, I could use a cup of coffee. I guess I didn't annoy him this morning after all." This last thought cheered her a bit. "When will I learn to stop overanalyzing and letting my emotions cloud everything? Ha... at least it's contained, not written all over my face, like it always used to be... though we still struggle quite a bit with our temper, don't we?" She giggled softly, turning around.

"What's so funny?" Shikamaru asked, hands now stuffed back into his pockets.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking about something from earlier. I'm all set here, shall we?"

"After you, woman." He smirked, gesturing toward the doorway. "Or I should say, ladies first."

Sakura bit her tongue, as her initial reaction to Nara's nonchalant chauvinism was to tell him off, but decided against it, preferring instead to see whether it was an attempt at chivalry. After knowing Shikamaru for most of her life, and having spent more time around him as of late, she was beginning to wonder whether his reputation as a chauvinistic pig was simply a misunderstood sense of politeness and respect for the fairer sex. She stepped through the door, allowing him to follow her, but stopped momentarily so that they could walk side-by-side.

"So, did you have someplace in particular in mind for us to get coffee? There's an excellent tea shop about a block from here that serves a good cup, as well as espresso. Ino and I go there after hospital shifts quite often. They're usually not too busy either."

Shikamaru stretched his arm back behind his head, scratching his neck absentmindedly again, "I had thought I'd ask you where you'd prefer, since you're likely more familiar with the area shops than I am. If you say you like this place, it sounds fine to me," he drawled.

Sakura liked the way he spoke, that slow and easy manner of speaking so inconsistent with his incredibly sharp mind. She imagined that most people with that sort of brilliance would be overwhelmed with the amount of thoughts and ideas rushing around in their heads, but everything about Shikamaru seemed easy and deliberate. He was never rushed, but took everything in, and responded in kind, even during simple conversations. She laughed inwardly. Even the way he spoke was languid. It reminded her of her first thoughts upon seeing him this morning. "Less like a deer," she thought, "much more like a cat." The idea of Shikamaru stretching in a sunlit window, sleeping all day like a spoiled house cat made her giggle aloud.

"Cheerful, are we?" he asked. "You seem to find everything amusing today. Care to share your mirth?" he smiled.

"Well actually..." she said, hesitating a moment, "I was thinking something rather funny about you."

"Indeed? I suppose it's insulting?" he responded, seemingly unfazed.

"That depends on how easily one is offended," she replied, attempting to keep from giggling again.

"Ah, it's troublesome to get irked easily. Anger is usually a wasted emotion, and I don't really take myself too seriously."

"In that case, I was comparing you to a house cat, in my mind. I was picturing you stretching in your windowsill, content to laze about all day and exert very little effort at all, as you would surely have a master who doted on you and spoiled you terribly," she finished, unable to hold in her laughter.

Shikamaru smiled a good-natured smile. It was rather funny. In fact, he had often eyed his mother's enormous black house cat, so fat it's belly nearly dragged on the floor, and wondered how it was fair that she should constantly nag him and force him out of bed while keeping as a pet something so clearly lazy and useless.

"I imagine I would be fat, if that were the case. Fat and spoiled. And why shouldn't I be doted on?" he glanced at her sidelong again, noticing the blush rising in her cheeks. He smirked to himself. "I am rather charming, you know."

Her cheeks were blazing, she could feel it. "Yes, Nara, I will concede that you are charming. You're not the only observant one around here," she laughed. "Perhaps we should call you Neko from now on, rather than Shika." She laughed again. Shikamaru looked at her again in that amused, appraising way, and she felt warm.

"I wonder if you've observed that we are at the coffee shop then, Miss Haruno?" he smirked. "Allow me," he added, opening the door to the shop and indicating with a tilt of his head that he was being chivalrous, waiting for her to enter.

Sakura stepped inside, gratefully inhaling the aroma of the pleasant shop. The smells of coffee, bitter espresso, and jasmine tea filled the air, along with baking sweets. The place was small, filled with dark wood and comfortable overstuffed couches and chairs. It had been arranged much like someone's overcrowded living room, dotted with small tea tables and low coffee tables. In the back corner, near a window, was Sakura's favorite nook. She often came here with Ino after long shifts at the hospital, but just as frequently came alone with a medical text or scroll and enjoyed the quiet warmth and charming atmosphere in her little corner.

Shikamaru looked around the shop, noticing that Sakura was making her way directly to a quiet corner with an overstuffed green love seat and a low coffee table facing a large brown arm chair. He followed, catching a whiff of what smelled like baking pastries, and admired the way she fluidly navigated the room. She had a sort of swing to her walk he'd caught himself regarding with more and more frequency as of late. He smiled to himself. It had been weeks, he realized, that he had found himself praising her many attributes in his mind- the way she could allow a silence to be comfortable in their early morning walks, the gentle femininity of her voice and appearance which belied her brute strength and quick temper, the adorable nervous twitch and tendency to bite her lip when she allowed her carefully constructed neutral look to slip... he liked to look at her. She was beautiful in a way that drew one's attention to her, without all of the flashiness of a girl like their friend, Ino. Sakura was beautiful because of the energy that radiated from her. Sharp mind, loyal friend, determined medic, brilliant kunoichi... lost in his thoughts, he realized they were both standing in the corner now, she near the love seat, he standing next to the antique-looking brown armchair.

"Are you going to sit?" he asked lazily.

"Of... of course," she stuttered, only just realizing he was waiting for her before he would sit down himself. She'd been distracted a moment, trying to decide if she should take her usual spot in the high-backed chair, or take a spot on the love seat, leaving room should he want to sit next to her... "No, no. That's silly," she thought hurriedly, "We're not on a date or anything... this is just coffee... two friends, having coffee." She sat down in the center of the love seat, hands twiddling a bit nervously. "Oi, Sakura, pull it together!" she muttered to herself.

"Hmm?" queried Nara, already stretched out in the armchair, legs crossed at the ankles. He was tempted to put them up on the coffee table, but thought better of it, as a waitress was approaching them, a wide smile on her face.

"Good evening, Haruno-san! I see Yamanaka-san isn't with you today?" the waitress spoke warmly, eyeing the handsome former Proxy General and known war hero in the seat across from one of her favorite patrons. "I believe you are Nara Shikamaru? Of the 4th Great Shinobi War fame?"

Shikamaru shifted in his seat, addressing the middle aged woman with a small smile and slight bow of his head. "So I am told," he replied humbly. He scratched behind his head absently, obviously a bit embarrassed by the attention being drawn to him. The waitress smiled again, and turned back to Sakura.

"Would you like your usual, Haruno-san? A double espresso and the banana cake?"

"Oh, yes please, Kira-san. Although, is that toasted coconut that I smell?"

"Yes, miss. We've made toasted almond and coconut cake as well today. Shall I bring that instead of the banana cake?"

"Hai, that would be lovely. Thank you," she replied, her green eyes shining with genuine warmth.

"And for you, Nara-san?"

"I'll have the same as the young lady, thank you, Kira-san," he drawled. The woman smiled at him. Her Miss Haruno was doing quite well for herself, it seemed.

The Nara clan was well known for their many accomplishments, but this young man was by far their most promising heir yet! Assistant Head Strategist alongside his equally brilliant (albeit more experienced) father, a proxy general under the Kazekage in the last war, one of the first young men of his age group to be promoted to the level of Jounin, and known for being a remarkable researcher in the medical field as well. Not to mention his sometime work with codes... leave it to Haruno-san to snag someone as brilliant as he was handsome. And what lovely manners!

"I shall return shortly with your order." With that, she bustled away.